The British Museum is facing legal action from the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA) over its refusal to allow the 3D scanning of a piece in its Parthenon Marble collection, The Guardian reports.
The IDA is seeking to reproduce a part of the relief from the temple’s south facade using 3D printing.
According to the IDA’s executive director, Roger Michel, the UK heritage group will be filing an injunction “by the end of the week requesting the court to order the British Museum to grant our request.”
“Our aim is to give people a chance to see just how extraordinary a copy can be,” Michel continued and stressed that previous copies of the Parthenon Marbles have been “low-quality plaster casts.”
In a statement to The Guardian about the IDA’s threat of legal action, a British Museum spokesperson said it was not possible to routinely accommodate all requests from “private organisations – such as the IDA – alongside academics and institutions who wish to study the collection.”
The spokesperson also added that it already used cutting-edge technologies to explore and share its collection and had facilitated visits from the Acropolis Museum in 2013 and 2017 for 3D scanning.
What does a flour mill and traditional Greek Pasta have to do with Australia?
Founder of the Award winning ‘Ilis’ pasta (Ζυμαρικά ΗΛΙΣ), spoke to The Greek Herald about his Greek pasta and his family’s Australian history.
“‘Ilis’ is named after the ancient Ilia prefecture of the Peloponnese, where the company is based,” says Theodoros Giannaras.
‘At its core, Ilis is still a traditional family business. My grandfather who was born in the early 1900’s, had his flour mill at the very same location,” he explains.
‘My father was the eldest sibling and he too worked in the flour mill, until leaving for Australia with my mother in the early 1960’s, where I was born.’
Somewhat wistfully though proudly, he tells me how his parents both worked hard in Australia’s factories, to fulfil their dream of saving money to return to Greece. They wanted to buy the flour mill for the family, rather than continue renting it as his grandfather had been.
Theodori’s parents did achieve their goal. Returning to Greece with a then four year old Theodori, they bought the flour mill outright and modernised it. Eventually Theodori’s father inherited the business, and Theodori continued working there, as he had done when his grandfather was still alive.
But … Australia beckoned once again. This time for the young Theodori.
‘It wasn’t easy for me to get where I am’, Theodori muses, humbly adding: ‘If it wasn’t for Australia, I really don’t think the family business would’ve made it this far.’
‘I too decided to go to Australia when I was eighteen, because I was getting restless, and wasn’t even sure if I’d return to Greece.He further informs me that trahana – as well as hilopites (‘more like Italian pasta in their yellowish colour from the eggs they contain, and sort of like fettucini cut into small squares’), were traditionally made in the spring and summer due to the supply of fresh eggs and milk, and were then stored for use mainly in winter.
After a year in Australia though, I missed my family, and the business. I returned to Greece with renewed interest and passion, determined to make something of it as the elder son, in the tradition of my ancestors,’ he explains.
‘Australia inspired me with it’s multicultural environment, and food in particular.’
‘I noticed the popularity of Italian restaurants, as well as Asian noodle-based eateries for example. It was there that the idea of perhaps turning the flour business into a pasta business one day, took root,’ he says.
‘I recognised that a major part of the flour mill’s success was due to the surrounding villagers buying our flour for bread, but also for making Greek pasta such as hilopites and trahana.’
Asking him what he means by ‘Greek pasta’, Theodori responds by first describing trahana, as generally made from flour and milk. Traditionally, this dough-like mixture was hand cut (or scraped on a special board) into ‘tiny pieces shaped like pillows’ before it was left to dry.
I mention to Theodori that tiny, ‘pillows’ is a good way to describe trahana, as it really has been a comfort food for me growing up in Australia and looking forward to a hot plate of it. Theodori nods in agreement.
He further informs me that trahana – as well as hilopites (‘more like Italian pasta in their yellowish colour from the eggs they contain, and sort of like fettucini cut into small squares’), were traditionally made in the spring and summer due to the supply of fresh eggs and milk, and were then stored for use mainly in winter.
Adopting a philosophical perspective, he continues: ‘Our ancestors were forced by necessity, but also by wisdom, to respect nature and the offerings of its changing seasons, and this included planning in advance. Trahana and hilopites – Greek pasta, was a clever, and delicious way to preserve milk and eggs, giving people an accessible and cheap, protein meal to have in the winter, but also throughout the year.’
In his large, gleaming with machinery and buzzing with life factory headquarters and distributing centre where I am interviewing Theodori, he points out that Ilis pasta is being sold at over 200 outlets in Greece and also internationally.
He proudly points out his over 50 different pasta ranges, ‘made from natural, fresh ingredients.’
Apart from the traditional Greek pastas, there are golden yellow pastas taking on their colour from ingredients such as tumeric and saffron, as does the black, cuttle-fish ink spaghetti. I notice the porcini mushroom pasta as well, amongst the numerous, and various sized and shaped, other pastas. The ever innovative Theodori has even devised a high protein pasta.
‘I am also a bit of a chef now’ he adds smiling, ‘and I love experimenting with my pasta in recipes.’
Theodori has managed to successfully but also creatively continue a century old family tradition of making flour come to life, through Greek pastas of all sorts.
Asked if he plans to enter the Australian market at any time soon, he playfully yet sincerely responds, ‘of course mate! My second home.’
Time for another trip to Australia again … For ‘Ilis’ Greek pasta that is!
At 104 years of age, Alf Carpenter is one of Australia’s oldest surviving Anzacs. He’s lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, 9/11 and even fought in the Battle of Crete.
In simple terms, he’s a living legend.
That’s why we’re not surprised his life has been turned into a documentary by charity,This Story Australia, titled ‘Second Generation ANZAC – The Story of Alf Carpenter.’
Hughes says he first decided to document Alf’s life after speaking with Australian author, Deborah Wheeler. Alf had provided the foreword for her book ‘Silk Clouds and Olive Trees – Tales from the Battle of Crete,’ and she thought his personal stories needed to be preserved in documentary form.
From there, Hughes and Wheeler applied for a grant and after being successful in their application, they began interviewing Alf on October 27, 2021.
Alf Carpenter as a young man.
“It was difficult,” Hughes explains about the filming process.
“We got the grant in May last year but borders were closed between Queensland and NSW [where Alf lives in a nursing home] so we couldn’t get the interview then.
“Out of frustration, we ended up just doing it remotely so basically I got a cinematographer in Newcastle, we went through the whole vetting and producing of the whole documentary and organising a space for him to be interviewed.”
Jeff Hughes (left) behind the scenes.
Ultimately, Alf was interviewed at the Merewether Hamilton Adamstown RSL via Facetime.
Hughes says that although they didn’t know if they’d be able to successfully do a virtual interview with the 104-year-old, they are ‘really happy with the end product.’
In the documentary, Alf speaks of his early life in Wagga Wagga, friendships, marriage and going to war. Alf describes his journey through Northern Africa to Greece and on to Heraklion to defend Crete.
Alf’s personal diary entries are also interspersed throughout the documentary. They are narrated by Australia’s favourite contemporary poet, Rupert McCall OAM.
Hughes says he can’t wait for people to see what has been produced.
“The most important thing as a filmmaker is we want it to be seen, we want it to be enjoyed by the community. We’re really looking forward to the launch,” he concludes.
The documentary will screen at The Greek Club, South Brisbane on Wednesday, March 30. Canapés will be served and there will be a cash bar. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.
The largest cultural festival in Queensland, and the longest running Greek festival in the country, Paniyiri, has announced its return on May 21 and 22 to its traditional home after a two-year, pandemic-induced pause.
The Paniyiri Greek Festival, where 50,000 people each year stomp grapes, smash plates, dance the zorba, and dine on an incredible array of savoury and sweet greek treats, will once again take over Musgrave Park in South Brisbane.
Tickets have gone on sale for Paniyiri 2022 and organisers are hopeful that pent up demand for in-person events will see ticket sales return to pre-pandemic levels.
It is not just the people of South East Queensland who are excited for the return of Paniyiri, or the multiple Greek associations that rely on it to fundraise for their community groups and charity associations.
There’s also excitement from the countless volunteers who proudly put the festival together, as well as the micro economy an event of this size creates – the hotels, the ubers, the suppliers, the surrounding businesses who all benefit from the thousands who attend.
The chairman of the Paniyiri Organising Committee, Chris Kazonis, says it’s not just the economic benefit to the wider community that has been missed, or the community groups and charities who rely on Paniyiri as their major fundraiser, but the connectivity and collective wellbeing that Paniyiri generates within the community.
“The power of Paniyiri is that it brings people of all ages and abilities together to dance, dine, and have a good time, which not only celebrates our culture, but recognises our need for connection,” Chris said.
“Paniyiri highlights diversity, encourages curiosity, and through sharing our stories with each other, it connects and unites the community.
“Whether you come for the saganaki or the souvlaki, the dolmades or loukoumades, to debate tasting notes of Greek wines, or join in the zorba or the sousta, we know everyone leaves Paniyiri with their heart as full as their stomach.”
For over 40 years, Paniyiri has grown to become one of most anticipated events on Queensland’s calendar. It has a stunning success story for a celebration that started as a simple Sunday picnic in the park back in 1976 by a group of passionate Greek Australians who wanted to share their culture and cuisine with Brisbane.
After the success of that inaugural year, organisers decided it was their musicians and dancers who would bring this celebration to life! This led to the creation of Brisbane’s first Hellenic dance club in 1978, and they have been showcasing traditional dances in traditional costumes from the various regions of Greece at every Paniyiri Festival since.
With 20 stalls serving authentic foods from 11 different regions, festival guests will also delight in discovering not only Greece’s incredible culinary history, but a lesson in Greek life where food is as important as family.
The park has seen over two million festival goers devour millions of honey puffs, souvlaki, shiftalies, dolmades, calamari and haloumi.
The Paniyiri Greek Festival organisers are currently fine tuning their 2022 entertainment program for multigenerational appeal, with different experiences and entertainment to attract different age groups and interests.
From cultural experiences to interactive demonstrations, cooking lessons, competitions, wine tastings and more, this two-day event will return with a jam packed schedule of things to see and do, with organisers even planning to build a pop up Greek Village where visitors can enjoy the sweet Greek life without needing their passport.
Paniyiri is a community initiative of the 25,000 strong Greek community of South East Queensland. All funds raised are distributed back to the community via the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane. This is Brisbane’s oldest Greek community established in the 1920s.
Event Details:
When: Saturday, May 21 from 12pm – 10pm AND Sunday, May 22 from 10am to 7pm.
Where: Musgrave Park, South Brisbane. Also The Greek Club, Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane.
Tickets: Adults $12*, Pensioners $5*, Children (under 12) FREE, 2 day pass $20*
A successful fundraising luncheon for the support of the Annunciation of Our Lady’s temple renovations was organised on Friday, March 25 at Axion Esti, Northcote.
The President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis, Treasurer, Dr Marinis Pirpiris, and General Secretary, Nikos Koukouvitakis, attended the event.
Bishop Evmenios of Kerasountos blessed the event and welcomed the guests, while the representative of the Consulate General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitris Tsilikis, read a message from the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
Bill Papastergiadis spoke at the event.
Afterwards, Papastergiadis highlighted the importance of the double celebration of March 25, emphasising the cooperation between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the GCM. He stressed the importance of the concept of freedom, comparing the struggle for peace and independence by the heroes of 1821 with the current war in Ukraine.
In his speech, the master of ceremonies, Konstantinos Kalymnios, referred to the history of the oldest and most historic church in Melbourne, the Annunciation of Our Lady, considering it a diamond in the crown of the Community.
At the end, the priest of the church, Father Antonios Vanikiotis, thanked the Bishop, the President of the GCM, the MC and all the people who participated in the event.
Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis, as well as actresses, Olympia Dukakis and Betty White, all featured in a special ‘In Memoriam’ video at the Oscars this year.
The ‘In Memoriam’ segment is one of the Oscars’ most cherished traditions as it honours industry veterans who have died over the course of the year.
Theodorakis died on September 2, 2021 at age 96 in Athens. During his sixty-year career, Theodorakis wrote over 1,000 songs, many symphonic works, music for dozens of plays and tragedies, operas and music for the cinema.
Dukakis, a Greek actress who won an Oscar for her role as an overbearing mother in the romantic comedy “Moonstruck,” died on May 1, 2021 at the age of 89.
White, who’s maternal family hails from Greece, passed away on December 31, 2021 just three weeks shy of her 100th birthday. The Emmy Award-winning comic actress was a TV fixture for decades.
White was best known for playing a man-hungry TV hostess on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s and a ditsy widow on The Golden Girls in the 1980s.
All three are among a long list of other iconic stars which featured in the ‘In Memoriam’ video including Sidney Poitier, the first black winner of the Best Actor Oscar, who died in January 2022 at 94 years of age.
A ministerial meeting chaired by Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Monday has confirmed that Greece is not at risk of a food shortage due to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The meeting was also attended by Rural Development and Food Minister, Giorgos Georgantas, and he said concerns around sunflower oil production could be eased by producing more for household consumption rather than for biofuels.
According to Ekathimerini, Greece imports sunflower oil from Ukraine. It estimates its imports of soft wheat from Ukraine and Russia at roughly 250,000 tonnes, about 30% of its total wheat imports.
Georgantas stated that Greece does not import the majority of its cereals from Ukraine though and its supply chains remain unaffected by the ongoing crisis.
Sunflower field in Halkidiki, Greece.
The government also decided to increase inspections and checks to confront unfair commercial practices and potential cases of price speculation.
The government has asked suppliers, such as supermarkets and other food retailers, to declare stockpiles of products including flour, grains, fertilisers, animal food, sunflower and other vegetable oils.
Greeks crossing the Bulgarian border for fuel. Photo: CGTN.
This comes as fuel prices have soared in Greece with the benchmark has price hitting a record high of $2.20 a litre. In Bulgaria, fuel is less expensive – almost 55 cents cheaper at $1.60.
This has seen Greece’s border communities crossing into Bulgaria to fill up their tanks,CGTN reports.
More than 1500 visitors to date have passed through the doors of the iconic Sydney Town Hall to admire the ‘1821 Greek Art Exhibition’ organised by St Basil’s NSW/ACT and curated by Captain Nikolaos Roussos.
The official launch, held on Sunday evening to coincide with the Greek Revolution commemorative events was a great opportunity for distinguished guests to come together and explore the Athens War Museum’s rare exhibits and traditional costumes from the collection ‘Heroes Made of Metal’ by the internationally renowned sculptor Nikos Floros.
Attending the event that was mc’d by Chairman of St Basil’s Homes NSW/ACT James Jordan were Archbishop Makarios of Australia and a number of distinguished guests including Press Counsellor Costas Yiannakodimos representing the Consul General of Greece in Sydney Christos Karras, Mr Andrew Chryssavgis representing the High Commissioner of Cyprus Martha Mavrommati, Parliamentary Secretary Peter Poulos, Georges River Mayor Nick Katris, Bank of Sydney CEO Miltos Michaelas and boxing champion George Kambosos.
Numerous speeches were given on the night about how Greek Orthodox faith, history language and culture are intertwined to form one’s national identity and the importance of upholding those values and passing them on to future generations while students from St Spyridon, All Saints and St Euphemia Colleges performed the Greek and Australian national anthems.
“I hope people will keep the flame of our history alive,” said Archbishop Makarios in his speech making a special mention on the current situation in Ukraine.
“It is not possible to think of modern Greece as being separate from the Church or a Greek not having that spiritual and religious aspect to their lives.”
Press Counsellor Mr Yiannakodimos conveyed a message from the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who praised Greeks in Australia for “being the living piece of the Greek nation despite the challenges that have occurred during the years.”
“Wherever I happen to be on Greek National Days, my thoughts are always with the diaspora and its Hellenic communities where the vision for Independence was created and rooted,” read the Prime Minister’s letter.
Secretary General for Greeks abroad Ioannis Chrysoulakis, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism and Seniors Mark Coure, Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore and sculptor Nikos Floros also addressed the attendees via video messages.
Last speakers for the evening were Mr Poulos who gave a passionate speech about history, his heritage and the contribution of Greek migrants in the state’s multicultural fabric and exhibition curator Captain Roussos.
After the formalities concluded the Archbishop enjoyed a tour of the exhibition by Captain Roussos and socialised with the attendees.
1821 Greek Art Exhibition
Exhibition dates: March 13 to April 3, 2022
Open 7 days, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Venue: Sydney Town Hall, 483 George St, Sydney NSW 2000.
The Kytherian Association of Australia (KAA) successfully launched its centenary celebrations on Saturday, March 26 at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.
The event was attended by over 150 people including a number of special guests such as the Press Counsellor at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, Costas Giannakodimos; His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia; the Honourable Peter Poulos MLC; Bayside Councillor, Vicki Poulos; City of Sydney Councillor, HY William Chan; and the President of KAA, Emmanuel Alfieris, among many others.
Everyone enjoyed some light refreshments before the night’s emcee and former Mayor of Woollahra Council, John Comino, invited all the guests to be seated for formal proceedings.
Mr Comino started the proceedings by welcoming everyone to the event and giving a brief history of the KAA. He then invited coloratura soprano Helen Zerefos to sing the National Anthems of Greece and Australia. Ms Zerefos also performed a special ‘Kythera’ song.
There were then a number of speeches from Bishop Christodoulos, Councillor Chan and Mr Alfieris.
In his speech, Bishop Christodoulos praised the Kytherians for their filotimo and Greek hospitality and encouraged them to uphold these values and pass them onto future generations.
Mr Alfieris later took to the stage and talked proudly about the founding fathers and other members of the KAA, before announcing that the Kytherians will have a special panel of names on the National Monument to Migration at the National Maritime Museum of Australia.
During the night, the Chair of the Kytherian Centenary Committee, Andrew Malanos, also read out the names of Past KAA Presidents, whilst Mr Poulos MLC and Councillor Poulos presented Certificates of Appreciation to the Presidents and their direct family members.
To conclude the official proceedings, there was a live auction of three of the 100-year Collector’s Edition Medallions, which have been produced by The Australian Mint. The first coin was bought by Peter Maneas from My Greek Odyssey for $20,000, John Sophios bought the second coin for $6,000 and Mr Alfieris bought the third coin for $10,000.
At the end of the night, there was plenty of mingling and Greek dancing to music by IHO Nyx Band.
Greek communities across Australia celebrated the 201st anniversary of the Greek Revolution this year with a number of exciting events, wreath laying and flag raising ceremonies.
Here’s our list of how Greek Independence Day celebrations went across Australia:
New South Wales:
It was a jam-packed weekend of Greek Independence Day celebrations in Sydney as a number of Greek communities and organisations held events to mark the momentous occasion.
First up was a commemoration event organised by AHEPA NSW in cooperation with Bayside Council on Thursday, March 24. The event started with a flag raising ceremony in the forecourt of Bayside Council conducted by Steve Kamper MP, AHEPA NSW Inc President, Bill Skandalakis, Press Counsellor at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, Costas Giannakodimos, and accompanied by Georges River Mayor Nick Katris and Councillor Sam Stratikopoulos, among many others.
This was followed by a celebration at AHEPA NSW Hall in Rockdale, which featured the singing of the Greek and Australian National Anthems, a recital of the Ode in Greek and English, speeches by Mr Kamper and Bayside Councillor Ed McDougall, as well as poem recitals and presentations by students from Kingsgrove Public School. The event closed with young dancers of the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney.
The next day, on Friday, March 25, the Canterbury-Bankstown Council held an ‘Independence Day Celebration,’ which featured the singing of the National Anthems of Greece and Australia, speeches and poem recitals.
The event was attended by a number of local politicians, such as Sophie Cotsis MP, representatives of Greek organisations, and students from the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Clemton Park Greek School and Earlwood Public School.
Later that same day, GOCNSW also held a Cocktail Party to mark Greek Independence Day. The event featured poem recitals and a number of speeches from the President of GOCNSW, Harry Danalis, and the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure MP, among many others. The celebrations concluded with a dance performance by the Community’s dance group under the direction of Paroula Thurban.
On Saturday, March 26, Burwood Council hosted its annual Greek National Day celebrations at Burwood Park. Despite the rain, a large crowd attended including the Mayor of Burwood, John Faker; Father George Liangas from St Nectarios Parish in Burwood; St Nectarios Parish Board President Penelopy Kioussis, Secretary Christina Efthymiades and other Board members; as well as Councillors Heather Crichton and Hugo Robinson.
The commemoration included a flag raising ceremony, followed by a memorial service, hymns, poem recitals, the singing of the Greek and Australian National Anthems and a wreath laying ceremony. There were also a number of speeches from Mayor Faker, Father George and Chris Christogeorge. The event concluded with a special performance from the Nassibian Dancers.
Last, but not least, was the traditional wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Place cenotaph on Sunday, March 27. The event included a memorial service conducted by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, followed by wreath laying from politicians and representatives of Greek community organisations.
Later that same day was the official opening of the St Basil’s NSW/ACT ‘1821 Greek Art Exhibition’ in collaboration with the Athens War Museum at Sydney Town Hall. The free exhibition features rare objects inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821, as well as the ‘Heroes Made of Metal’ collection of traditional Greek costumes by internationally renowned sculptor Nikos Floros.
On Sunday, March 27, Grand Lodge of NSW and District Lodge of NSW also held a dinner to commemorate Greek Independence Day. In attendance were a number of officials including George Lizidis, representing the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, and George Lianos, the President of National Council AHEPA Australasia, among many others.
The event featured a number of songs and dances by Sofia Ventouri and the Aristotle Dance Academy, under the direction of Dimitris Papapetrou. The National Anthems of Greece and Australia were also performed, and a number of youth recited poems.
Victoria:
In Victoria, celebrations began with the Greek Consulate General of Greece in Melbourne holding a commemoration event at the Hellenic Museum on March 23. The event was attended by a number of politicians including the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews who announced the coming of the Evzones to Melbourne from April 21-29 for Anzac Day.
On Friday, March 25, the inaugural Grecian Ball was also held. It was organised by the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), the Greek National Day Council of Victoria and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Throughout the week, there were also a number of wreath laying ceremonies across Melbourne. On Sunday, March 20, the Organising Committee for the Celebration of the National Anniversary organised a commemoration at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, whilst Melbourne’s Hellenic RSL laid wreaths at the Australian Hellenic Memorial on Friday, March 25.
On Sunday, March 27, the Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Association also held a wreath laying ceremony at the Axion Esti Monastery in Melbourne’s Northcote.
There were a large number of attendees including, but not limited to, the Archdiocesan Vicar of the Northcote District, Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos; Maria Vamvakinou MP; Kat Theophanous MP; the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis; the President of the Organising Committee for the Celebration of the National Anniversary, Tony Tsourdalakis; and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis.
South Australia:
In South Australia, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (Archdiocesan District of Adelaide) held a number of events to mark Greek Independence Day on Sunday, March 27.
In the morning, there was a Divine Liturgy in the Church of Saint Spyridon, Unley, presided over by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope. Later, there was a memorial service at the War Memorial in North Terrace.
Credit: St George College, Adelaide.Credit: St George College, Adelaide.
Wreaths were laid by the Honourable Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas, as well as SA’s civil and military authorities and representatives of Greek Community organisations.
A parade by the students from the Greek Colleges, Afternoon and Saturday Greek schools of the Archdiocese then took place from the War Memorial to the Torrens Parade Ground.
Credit: St George College, Adelaide.
The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia Inc. (GOCSA) also commemorated Greek Independence Day on Sunday, March 27. The event was held at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Adelaide and involved wreath laying, as well as a number of school presentations.
Later that afternoon, GOCSA in collaboration with the Pan-Rhodian Association of South Australia, held a special presentation with Dr Alfred Vincent, the first lecturer in Modern Greek Studies at the University of Sydney and a long-time collaborator and supporter of the Greek festivals.
Western Australia:
A Doxology to honour the fallen heroes of the Greek Revolution was held at the St Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Perth on Sunday, March 27. The service was conducted by His Grace Bishop Elpidios of Kyanea.
The Consulate of Greece in Perth then organised a wreath laying ceremony at Kings Park State War Memorial.
The ceremony opened with a religious blessing, followed by presentations from the students of St Andrew’s Grammar, the Centre For Hellenic Studies of Western Australia and the Greek Language and Culture Institute.
Australian and Greek dignitaries laid wreaths and the ceremony was concluded with speeches by the Consul of Greece in Perth, Ms Georgia Karasiotou; the Governor of WA, the Honourable Kim Beazley AC; representing the WA Premier, Simon Millman MLA; and representing the WA Opposition Leader, Tjorn Sibma MLC.
The Consulate of Greece in Perth then offered light refreshments at the park to attendees.
Australian Capital Territory:
The Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC) went all out this year to mark Greek Independence Day. Forty Greek flags are flying proudly across Vernon Circle, Kings Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue until Monday, April 4.
A number of buildings also shone blue and white on March 25. These were the National Museum of Australia, the Hellenic Club of Canberra, the Greek Embassy in Australia, Canberra Centre Fountain, John Gorton Building, Telstra Tower and Old Parliament House, among many others.
The Canberra Hellenic Dancers performed in front of the National Carillon as it was officially lit.
On Sunday, March 27, there was also a special Doxology service held at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra in honour of the fallen heroes of the Greek Revolution. The service was presided over by His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis and parish priest, Father Petros Kipouros.
This was followed by a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony at the Australian Hellenic War Memorial. In attendance were a number of officials, army representatives and Greek community organisations, including the President of the GOCCC, John Loukadellis.
Northern Territory:
The Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia (GOCNA) also marked Greek Independence Day with a special school celebration and wreath laying ceremony.
His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope was in attendance for the events and paid a visit to the Greek Orthodox School of Darwin in Nightcliff, where young students performed poems and songs in honour of the heroes and heroines of the Greek Revolution.
The Greek Community of Tasmania held a Doxology service and wreath laying ceremony on Sunday, March 27 at St Georges Greek Orthodox Church in Hobart. Wreaths were laid by Nick Theodoropoulos, the President of the Community, John Gavalas from the Lipsis Brotherhood, and Nick Gonianakis from the Cretan Brotherhood.
Students from Hobart’s local Greek school recited poems and the National Anthems of Greece and Australia were sung.
Parish priest, Father Nicolaos Bozikis, read a prepared speech about the importance of Greek Independence Day, which was kindly provided by Rosa Roussos who has been a Greek school teacher for over 35 years in Hobart.
Queensland:
The Greek Orthodox Community of St George in Brisbane held a Doxology service and wreath laying ceremony on Sunday, March 27.
In attendance were the Queensland Governor, Dr Jeannette Young PSM; the Honorary Consul of Greece in Queensland, James Raptis OBE; and members of local Greek communities.
